Knitting machine



July 12, 1932- '0; E. RASMUSSEN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR flsmldfifmmussen.

BY @wuull. WEI-WM A ORNE'Y July 12, 1932.

S ction #111 O. E. RASMUSSEN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 l0 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR art 4M .5? 1366mm BY W A I ORNEY O. E. RASMUSSEN .KNITTING MACHINE- Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTO EY M 12, 1932. v v

O. E. RASMUSSEN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 1O Sheets-Sheet 5 NEY Euly E2, 1932. o. E. RASMUSSEN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 mvramon mmldfl jwvmwwem y 1932- 0. E. RASMUSSEN 6,

[KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet '7 20 188 my, 4 f. 199 8 I oumn- QM- ATT OEY

0. E. RASMUSSEN July 12, 1932.

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 ATTgzNEY 0. E. RASMUSSEN KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR OsmZJEffimmwsen, BY

ATT

o NEY July 12, 1932.

wmwwmmwwwwmmwwmw y 1932. o. E. RAsMussEN 1,866,946

' KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1930 10 Sheets-Sheet 1O INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 12, 1932 um'rso' STATESg-RATENT. vorricrz OSVALD EDMUND RASMUSSEN, or Lmcomf PARK, NEW. JERSEY, Assmnon ro Y GENT LOMBARDI, or BROOKLYN, new You]:

marine macnmn Application -fl1 ed August 5,

This invention relates to knitting machines and includes certain correlated ,inventions .and discoveries appertaining, thereto. 9

An object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine whereby a large number of varied pattern effects may be. readily and economically incorporated into a 'knitted fabric.

10 In its more specific aspects, the invention ing operated by a simpler type of cation of which will be has for an object the provision in a knitting machine of improved pattern-control mechanism arranged 'to be periodically set in accordance with the configurations presented 18 thereto by a pattern determining medium,

and in response to said setting to impart pattern-controlling actuations to a series out" needles.

An additional object is to provide a knitting machine which is simple in construction, economical of manufacture and assembly, readily adjustable, capable of a wide variety of uses, and adapted for ready and eflicient p apparatus for wiping out the pattern in any desired part of the fabric to be knitted, which pattern would otherwise be incorporated therein under the control of the pattern'determining medium. Y Y

The invention accordingly comprises the .leatures of construction, combinations oil elements and arrangements of parts, which will he exemplified in the constructions hereinatter set forth and the scope of the appliindicated in the claims.

Fora taller understanding or the nature and objects ot the invention reference should be had to the following detailed demo. Serial No. 473,241.

scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a top view'of a machine embodythe invention; igs. 2, 4, and 6 when placed side by side represent in schematic form a portion of the needle-lay-out along with the controlling cams, pattern controlling mechanism and means for wiping out the pattern;

Flg. 3 is a schematic representation of the pattern wiping out mechanism which is shown operating on the needle jacks of Fig. 2;

lg. 5 is a schematic representation, of

the pattern controlling-drum and associated apparatus which is shown operating on the,

needle jacks of Fig. 3; w

Fig. 2' is an enlarged sectional view cl the pattern control mechanism tor determining the attern for any desired portion of the fabric to be matted.

Fi 8 isa top of Flg. 7i p p Fig. 9 represents a drum cylinder carrying cams and used as a part of the mecha nism of Fig. l;

Fig. 10 is a schematic lay-out of the cams on the cylinder of Fig. 9;

view of the control drum Fig. ll is an enlarged sectional view olthe mechanism for wip in any desired hiitted;

Fig. 112 isa cross sectional view of the con trol drum of Fig. Ill;

Figs. 13 and M- illustrate details of certain portions of the movable parts linking the drum ct Fig. 12 to the cams tor the needle pg out the pattern portion or the fabric to be jacks;

Figs. 15 and ill illustrate other details ol certain movable parts controlle by the drum of Fig. 12 and controlling cams tor the needle jacks; and

-Figs. l7. l8, 19, 20, A, 21 and 22 represent sectional views of a needle and needle jack along with the various cams and controlling apparatus therefor.

Fl 1 discloses a top view of a circular knitting machine of the cylinder type embodying the present invention. The machine is assumed to have four yarn feeds.

Bil

til

similar to the apparatus disclosed in the 260, 261, 262, and 263 and four vertically disposed pattern drums 166, 243, 244, and

245, one for each yarn feed, are provided ments which in turn are given pattern determining actuations by apparatus controlled by a pattern sheet mounted on a drum 61. The machine of Fig. 1 also includes four horizontally disposed drums 137, 246, 247, and 248 for wiping out the pattern settings of the needle jacks for any portion of the fabric whenever such an action is desired. Thus pattern drum 166 may selectively set the needle jacks to give a particular pattern effect in one portion of the machine and the wiping out drum 137 which immediately follows may wipe out these pattern effects before the passage of the yarn carrier for which the pattern settings were made. It may be assumed by way of example that the cylinder needles of the machine of Fig. 1 are divided into eight equal groupsand that the pattern to be knitted is repeated at least eight times in the resulting tubular fabric. These sections for convenience have been numbered, 1A, 2-13, 3A, 4-B, 5--A, 6-13, 7-A, and 8B. For reasons to be described later the needle jacks in the A sections are different from those in the B sections. Thus the pattern drum for each yarn feed may cause the same particular pattern effect to appear in all of the eight sections except in those sections where the pattern may have been wiped out by the wiping out drum which follows each pattern drum. The setting of .each wiping out drum is obtained from a pattern sheet mounted on drum 250. Further details of the eneral plan of the machine of Fig. 1 wil be apparent after a description of certain subsequent figures has been given. I

The apparatus for enabling the knitting of the needles to be automatically determined by the pattern medium and as a perforated paper pattern strip 60, will now be described particularly wlth reference to Fig. 7. The cont-rolling apparatus immediately adjacent the pattern strip 60 is quite Vincent Lombardi patent application, Serial No. 320,111 filed Nov. 17, 1 928, to which reference is made. The pattern strip 60 is mounted on a rotatable drum 61 mounted on elements 89 rest in correspondin aeeaeee a stationary part of the machine and arranged bysuitable apparatus to be given a step-by-step movementat proper intervals. Two sets of pivoted levers 63, 64 are associated with the pattern sheet. The fingers 62 of the set of levers 63 are ada ted to be periodically raised away and subsequently lowered to either contact with the pattern sheet or pass through perforations therein. A rotating cam 71 periodically lifts the arm 70, pivoted at its upper end, to cause the rod 69 to rotate each lever 64 a small distance in a clockwise direction, which will. cause one end 72 of the lever to raise the fingers 62 away from the pattern. These fingers are normally biased by springs 68 inside the housing 67. Tf a finger 62 is resting at any particular time on top of the paper pattern the other end of lever 63 is against shoulder 66, but if a finger 62 should find a hole in the pattern the opposite end of that lever 63 would rest against shoulder 65. The lower end of each lever 64 is apertured through which a small hollow rod 81 passes, having an adjustable stop 75 on one end and an adjustable nut 74 on the other end. A spring 73 tends to keep end 76 of the lever against the stop 75. A wire 77 passing through the tube 81 and fastened by a set screw in stop 75 leads to a bell crank lever 78 pivoted at the point 79. The other arm of this bell crank lever 78 rests in a socketin the lower end of a vertical jack 80 which is located in an'external slot of the stationary cylinder 82.

The upper end of each jack 80 has a cam' projection 83 so that the jacks 80 may be eriodically raised by a rotating cam 84. t will be apparent that after the passage of cam 84 each 'ack 80 corresponding to a finger which found a perforation in the pattern sheet will remain elevated while those jacks 80 corresponding to fingers finding no holes will be lowered again due to the action of springs 73.

The pattern determining actuations of jacks 80 are transferred to the needle jacks b a special mechanism 166 now to be described Mounted on the rotating. dial 85 is a fixed shaft 86. Suitably supported at the upper and lower ends of this shaft are two similar drums 87, 88 which are freely rotatablelabout the shaft 86. Each of these drums 87,88 is slotted in its external surface and slidable both drums. The lower end of eac element 89 has a projection 90 which is adapted at times to contact with the part 91 of one" of the jacks 8 0.

Acam cylinder 92 is mounted on shaft 86 slots in in a non-rotatable manner and the details 7 thereof are disclosed more particularly in Fig. 9 to which reference is made. Several cams are mounted on the cylinder 92 which cooperate with projection 93 on the slidable elements to give desired actuations thereto. lfwe assume an element 89 with its projection 93 in its upper and inner position (having been pushed in by a jack 80) 1t w1ll 6 ride on top of cam 96 but will be lowered by cam 97 and then pushed outwardly by cam 98 so that it is left in its lowered and outer position until a change is desired, when the 7 said change will be made by the pattern sheet 10 60. The said projection 93 has therefore been changed from'an upper and inner position to its lower and outer position. On the other hand, if we assume an element 89 with its projection 93 in its lowered and inner position, the said element 89 will be further lowered by cam 96a-nd will not be afiected by cam 98 but will be raised by cam 94 and then pushed outwardly by cam, 95 to its upper and outer'position. Once the slidable ele- 2oiment 89 has been given a selective inner setting by pattern sheet 60, the rotation of the slidable element around the cam cylinder 92 will cause the cams on cylinder'92 to raise those elements 89 that were previously in '25 a lowered posit-ion and will lower those that were previously in a raised position. This means that the slidable elements once they have been selectively set and operated upon by cam cylinder 92 will continue to have that 3 setting until a diflerent setting is desired, i. e., the elements 89 do not have to be set for each Q revolution around the needle cylinder as long as no change in pattern is desired. l or'example if one projection 93 is in its upper and outer position because'its corresponding finger 62 found a hole in pattern 60, it will remain in its upper position until its corresponding finger 62 encounters another hole in the pattern (which may not occur until the c linder 61 has been stepped several times), w ereupon it will be pushed in by jack 80 and then changed to a lowered POSltion by cam cylinder 92. llt will now remain in a lowered and outer position until its finger 62 encounters another hole later in the pattern sheet whereupon the projection 93 will be pushed in by its jack 80 and then changed to its upper position by cam cylinder.

The pattern sheet 60 is therefore of novel design in that a hole is inserted therein along a line parallel to its length only when a change in the knitting of aparticular needle is desired. Thus, for example. the first hole in such a row under one finger. 62 may mean that its needle will knit. This needle will continue to knit until a second hold appears in the'pattern under said finger whereupon the said needle will interlock and continue to interlock until athird hole appears. This reduces considerably the number. of holes required in a pattern sheet to produce a given pattern. v

The manner in which the cams on cylinder 92 operate is illustrated schematically in Fig.

10. The projections 93 that are in there inward positions are shown as solid rectangles in Fig. 10, While theunfilled rectangles 93 represent projections 93 in their outer positions.

Each element. 89 at its upper end has a projection 99 which is adapted to contact with a projection 100 on a needle jack 101 to push the needle jack inwardly into its slot in the'needle' cylinder 102 providing the said element 89 is in its raised position; If

however any element 89' is in its lowered position it will not actuateits corresponding needle jack. The upper and lower positions of projections 99 are separated bya thin semi-annular plate 103 which insures that at the time each element 89 is adjacent the needle jacks there will be nodanger that some slidable elements 89 will be at an undesired'h'eight. This plate 103 does not rotate with the drums 87, 88 but is stationary in the designated position as it is carried with "the shaft 86 around the needle cylinder 102.

The outer projections 104 on the slidable elements 89 may be used at times in connection with the setting of the elements 89 by the manually operated cams 105 and 106, see Figs. 7, 8, and 10. If cam 106 is screwed in to be in operative position, it will contact with butts 10st on all slidable elements 89, in an upper position so that all those projections 93' which before the actuation by cam 106 were in their upper outer positions will be placed in their lower outer positions by the subsequent operation of cams 97 and 98. Those projections 93 which at the time of the placing of cam 106 into operation were in their lower outer positions willoi course remain there and those that happened to he in their lower inner positions will be raised by cams 94, 95 to their upper outer positions where they will be immediately actuated by cams 106, 97, 98 and ultimately brought to a lower outer position. This means that when earn 106 is operative all projections 93 will be placed in their lower outer positions. By a similar operation it will be apparent that cam when placed in the path of projections 104: will cause all projections .93 to be in their upper outer positions. Hence with cam 106 operative all needle jacks 101 will remain out of their slots and by apparatus to be described later will cause all needles to knit loops, while if cam 105 is madeoperative all needle jacks 101 will be pushed into their slots and all needles will produce the inter lock fabric.

Tn order to determine the effect of the slidable elements 89 on the'needle jacks 101 reference is made to Figs. 17 to 22 inclusive. Tn

the preferred form of this invention alternate needles have long butts while the remaining needles have short butts. This is shown in lFig. 17, for example, where 109 is a long butt needle, while 110 is a short butt tatable cam 107 supported from a suitable cam cylinder (not shown) surrounding the needle cylinder and integral with the dial plate 85 on which the pattern mechanism 166 is mounted. This cam 107 is employed to thrust all needle j acks 101 outwardly in order that they may subsequently receive selective actuations from the slidable elements 89. All

needle jacks 101 after passage of slidable ele-' ments are adapted to be raised to the interlock position by rotating cam 117 as shown in Fig. 18, and the needles are shown in the said interlock position in Fig. 19. Fig. 19 also shows that the plate 103 not only is used for separating the proj ections 99 in their upper and lower positions but also is used as a riding surface for projection 100 on each needle jack when it is in its raised position. Rotating cam 118 is used to lower those needles that have'be-en raised tointerlock position, while cam 119 is used to raise to full knitting those needles which have needle jacks remaining in their outward position after passage of slidable element 89. Cam 121 1 1s employed to lower needles from full knit;

ting position to a level below normal after which they are brought back to normal by the tucking cam 122. The various cams just described are mounted on a suitable cam cyl-,v

inder surrounding the needle cylinder and a group of similar cams is of course provided for each yarn carrier. Certain of the other features disclosed in Figs. 17 to 22 will be described later.

- jacent needle jacks 101. The slidable ele'-' Atop view of the pattern mechanism 166 is disclosed in Fig. 8, wherein it is shown that the upper part of drum 88 has a plurality of ridges 237 for forming a tooth rack or gear,

each tooth fitting "into the space between adments 89 previouslydescribed, fit in the slots between adjacent teeth 237 so that the'meshing of teeth 237 and needle jacks 101 insures that each slidable element 89 will actuate, when desired, its corresponding needle jack 101. The two drums 87,- 88 are positively rotated bythe meshing of a gear 238 integral with drum 87 and a tooth rack 230 mounted on the stationary cylinder. The passage of the pattern drum 166 around the needle cylinder is-secured by the tooth rack 231 mounted below the dial 85 and meshing with a crown 240 on a shaft 241 driven by a suitable source of ower (see Fig. 1).

The mechanism hy means of which the pattern may be omitted from any desired portion of the fabric will now be described. In

reeaeae general, this wiping out of the pattern is effected by a pattern drum similar to that disclosed in the Vincent Lombardi patent application Serial No. 320,111 filed Nov. 17th, 1928. A plurality of slidable jacks 136 are located in slots in a stationary portion of the machine and are suitably controlled by a pattern sheet by pivoted levers and wires similar to those in said prior application, and similar to wires 77 and levers 63, 64 of Fig. 7 of the present specification. A pattern drum 137 is mounted to move around the needle cylinder and rotates in response to cam 143 which will subsequently move the corresponding element 139 towards the needle cylinder. If another particular jack 136 is in its retracted position it will contact with end 141 of its corresponding pivoted member and throw the end 142 outwardly into the path of cam 144, which will subsequently move the corresponding element 139 away from the needle cylinder. Cams 143, 144 are suitably mounted on the inside of the housing 145 for the drum. Each slidable element 139 has at its opposite end a projection 146 which in its forward osition contacts, during pivoted levers 147 which are distributed in pairs around the entire machine at certain points to be described later. These pivoted levers 147 are suitably mounted on a stationar portion'of the machine. It will be seen t at if a projection 146 contacts with end 148 of a lever 147, this lever will be rocked counter-clock-wise a small distance, which will cause end 149 of said lever to move the associated rod, such as 150 and 210, towards the needle cylinder. Each rod 150 and 210 at its remote end has an upturned portion 151 which, when the rod is pushed forward (Fi 13) contacts with an arm 152 and moves the said arm in a clockwise direction. The arm 152 is fastened to the lower end of a vertical rotatable rod 153 which willbe described later. Each arm 152 at-its outer end has an upwardly extending projection 154 which may rest at one time against shoulder 155 or shoulder 156 of another rotatable arm 157, which is biased in a counter-clockwise manner. Thus if arm 152 is against shoulder 155 the previously described movement of the associated rod 150 will thrust arm 152 in a clockwise direction the rotation of the rum, with one or more necaw which will allow projection 15 1 to slide along the'edge of arm 157 until brought "to rest algainst shoulder 156. Each arm 157 has on 1: ie other side of its pivot a leaf spring 158 which liesin the path of either earn 159 or cam 150 and the contact of one of these cams with the strip 158 will reset the arm 157 loy moving it against its stop 161 which will thereby restore arm 152 to its position against shoulder 155 from where it was moved lay the forward thrust of the rod 150. J

I The biasing of each arm 157 is mcomplished by a coiled spring 162 connected an arm 163 fastened at the upper end of a small rotatable shaft 164-, at the lower end of which is found the arm 157 The shafts 153 and 184 are suitably mounted in upright supports 155 which are mounted on the re tating dial plate 85 which also carries the pattern drums 186 and 137.

The arrangement at the upper end of each shaft 158 is illustrated in Figs. 15 and 18, taken in connection with Fig. 11'. Referring more particularly to Fig. 15 the upper end ofeach shaft 153 hears an arm 176 carrying an upright pin 177 which is adapted to slide in a slot 178 in an arm 179 fastened to a rotatahle sleeve in post 206 which sleeve at its upper end carries a cam such as cam 188.

When arm 152 at the bottom of shaft 153 is moved counterclockwise, arm 178 will likewise move counter clockwise and the pin 177 will cause a similar counter clockwise movement of arm 179 as the pin 177 slides from the outer end of slot 178 towards the inner end of the slot in arm'179.

Before proceeding further with the I detailed description of the apparatus associated with the wiping out drum 137, attention is drawn to thefact that the knitting machine losing descrihed has its needles d1- vided into a number of groups equal to twice the number of yarn carriers, although the invention is not limited to such an arrangement. Thus with four yarn carriers the needles and needle jaclrs are divided into eight groups,each-group having the same number of needles. Alternate groups, which we will call the A sections have certain characteristics that are similar, while the remaining groups, the B sections, are similar among themselves but possess diiderent characteristics from the A groups. This division is for the pirrpose of facilitating the wiping out of the pattern at any desired time by means of the drum 187 of Fig. 11. lhere is no difference in the structure of the A section nee dles and the 18 section needles, as the needles in each hand 18 section comprise alternate long loutt needles and short hutt needles. evervare different from those in the B sections, The needle jacksof the A. sections have two oppositely disposed butts 183 and 184 (Fig. 18) at one level, while the needle The needle jacks in the A sections howjacks of the 18 sections have two oppositely disposed hutts 185 and 186 at a higher love, so that butts 183, 184: can he operated by one set of cams while butts 185,186 may he operated hydifilerent cams. it may he noted that lcutt 186- forthe ll section needle jacks is actually an extension of the butt 187 which all needle jacks have to cooperate with rotating ,cam 107' and which hutt 187 is actually separate butt in the A section needle jacks. ln the specific machine disclosed in 1 there are four yarn carriers and for convenience it will he assumed that the needle jacks are in eight groups which will he termed in this description l-A, 8-13, 55-h,

5-41, 8-18, 7A and 8-3, the last needle jack of the section lacing of course next to the first needle jaclr in the 1-1 1 section; so that there are four A sections and four 18 sections. t will now he shown how the apparatus of Fig. 11 can function, to wipe out the pattern in any one or all of the A sections or wipe out the pattern in any one or all of theB sections.

There are four sets of adjustalole cams 188, 189 (Fig. 28) uniformly spaced around the needle cylinder, one set for each yarn carrier and eachset heing adapted to wipe out or reinstate the pattern for the following yarn carrier as far as the next 13 section is concerned or still other B sections subsequently reached in the rotation of the dial carrying the said cams. There are also four sets of cams 190, 191 which perform similar functions for any one or more of the A sections. Thus in Fig. 20 if cam 188 is brought into the path of the B section hutts 185, while the said cam is travelin in an A section, 1-A for example, the said cam upon reaching the 2-B section will thrust all of that B- section needle jacks into their slots so that they will not he raised hy the suhseo uent passage of the knitting cam 119 previously de scrihed; which means thatas far as that particular 18 section is concerned all the needles will produce interlock from the yarn from the next yarn carrier, regardless of any previous pattern settings lay a pattern drum 168. During the passage of the said cam 188 through the next A section, 8-11 for enample, cam 188 may he retained in its operative position so that the pattern will he wiped out of the sulcsequent it-B section where the needles will interlock and not knit loops; or in section 8-11 the said cam 188 may he restored to an inoperative position so that it will not ahect the needle jacks in section dB hut will. allow them to he selectively operated in accordance with the previous pattern settings by a pattern drum 165,

glln the other hand, an adjustable cam 188 (Fig. 20) while traveling past section 1-21 for example, may by apparatus shown in Fig, 11 he hroughihintothe path of the 18 section butts 186, so that all the needle jacks be ihrust outwardly and all the needles in in section 2-B will be thrust away from their slots, so that the subsequent passage of cam 119 (Fig. 20) will cause all needles in section 2.B to be raised to full knitting position, thereby wiping out the pattern from section 2-B for the yarn carrier that follows cam 119.

The A sections may have the pattern wiped out by the four sets of cams 190, 191.. Thus if cam 190 is moved into the path of the A section butts 183, while the said cam is traveling opposite the 2-B section, it will be apparent that all the needle jacks in section 3A will be thrust inwardly out of the path oflmitting cam 119 so that section 3A for the next yarn will only interlock. On the other hand if, while cam 191 is traveling opposite section 6B for example, the said cam is placed in the path of the A section but s, then all the needle jacks in 7-A will section 7A would knit from the next passing yarn carrier, regardless of any previous pat-tern setting of the said needle jacks.

There are therefore four cams 188 to 191 which precede each yarn carrier and follow each pattern drum, such as drum 166, so that for the machine of Fig 1 there are four groups of such cams. Each group is adapted to be set so as to wipe out the pattern for any desired number of sections and cause the fabric in each section to .be in accordance with the pattern settings or all interlock or all knit, whichever is desired, The apparatus shown in Fig. 11 illustrates how each of these cams 188 to 191 may be made operative or inoperative as far as the needle jack butts are concerned. 4

The manner in which the cams 188 to 191 are controlled by the drum of Fig. 11 will a shaft 203 similar to shaft 153 previously de-- scribed. This means that the movement of shaft 203 controls the position of cam 189 to make it either operative or inoperative onthe butts of the next B section. The corresponding cam 191 for the A sections is mounted on a'rotatable sleeve 200 external to shaft 196 but also supported by post 197. The lower end of this sleeve 200 is supplied with an arm 201 similar to the slotted arm Cam 188 is mounted on, the inner shaft messes within a post 206 (which is similar to post 197) and is thereby connected to arm 179; and arm 17 9 as previously described embraces a pin 177 on the arm 176 which is connected to the top of shaft 153. The rotation of shaft 153 controls whether cam 188 is operative or inoperative. Cam 190 is connected to the outer sleeve within post 206 and is thereby connected to arm 207 which through arm 208, similar to arm 176, is controlled by the vertical shaft 204.

It will be understood that there are two rods such as 150, Fig. 11, opposite each of the eight sections into which the machine has been divided, although as will be seen later the two horizontal rods in each A section have their ends adjacent the needle cylinder bent differntly from each other and differing from the pairs in the B sections in order that one such rod in each A section will control cam 188 and the other rod control cam 189; and that one rod in each B section will control cam 190 and the other rod control cam 191. The end of the second rod for an A section is shown at 210 in Fig. 11. The two rods 150,

210 may be opposite section 1-'A in order to control either cam 188 or cam 189 for section 2B. Associated with the rods 150, 210 are the pivoted contacting levers 147, 211 which as shown in Fig. 12 are adapted to be controlled by two of the slidable elements 139 in drum 137. It will be notedfrom Fig. 12 that the slidable elements 139 are spaced in eight pairs around the periphery of the drum, one pair for each section of the machine, which is the preferred arrangement although a greater number of pairs may be used if de sired. Thus elements in slots 125 may con trol two rods 215, 216 opposite section 2B in order to control cams 190,191 for the following section 3A; elements in slots 212 may control rods such as 150, 210 opposite section 3'-A to control cams 188, 189 for section r-B, and so on around the wiping out drum, thus making elements in slots 213 control cams 190, 191 for section 1-A. For example,if the two rods such as 150, 210 or 215, 216 are opposite the center of each needle section, the uniform arrangement of theslots in drum 137 would require that the drum 137 perform say nine complete revolutions in passing around the needle cylinder, while the pattern drum 166 performs eight complete revolutions in passing around the needle cylinder. That is the arran ment shown in the drawings to enable a d1flerent pair of elements on drum 137 to control the two horizontal rods suchas 150,210 or 215, 216 in each section.

It will be noted from -Figs. 13 and 14 that the right ends of the horizontal rods 150, 210,

215, 216 are so turned that they control their appropriate vertical rods 153, 203, 202, and 2051' respectively, Fig. 13 showing the control of vertical rods 202 and 204 by horizontal rods 21 and 216, while Fig. 14; shows the control of vertical rods 153 and 203 by horizontal rods 150 and 210. This means that the device shown in Fig. 13 is taken from a B section and controls the Wiping out cams for an A section; and that shown in Fig. 14 is taken in an A section and controls the wiping out cams fora B section. Torecapitulate rods 159 and 153 control cam 188; rods 210 and 203 control cam 189; rods 216 and 204 control cam 190; and rods 215 and 202 control cam 191. Each of the horizontal rods has a coiled spring 217 which tends to restore the horizonrods after they have been advanced by drum 13?. An adjustable stop 218, Fig. 11, is provided for each rocker arm 147 to limit its upper movement due to pressure from springs 21?.

will be noted by comparing Figs. 11, 13 and 14 that the resetting cam 160 for the B section rods is at such a height that it contacts with the upper Terms 158 and 219 while the resetting cam 159 is at a lower level so that it contacts with arms 220,221. The extent of movement of arm 158 for example is shown nected by a coiled springserve the same purby the dotted line position in Fig. 14. Cams 159, 160 are locatedon the stationary base plate 225.

it is preferable that the sleeve supporting the arm 179 should also be provided with another arm 226 atan angle thereto and that the sleeve fastened to arm 198 should also be provided with a similar angular arm 227, the two arms 226, 227 being connected by a tensioned spring 228. This spring 228 is for. the purpose of insuring that cam 189 is not in an operative position at the same time as cam 188. Arms similar to arms 226, 227 and conpose for cams 190, 191.

The drum 137 may be supported by shaft 138 upon roller bearings such as at the points 232 and 233. The outer surface of drum 137 has gear 234 which meshes with gear 235. The shaft 138 is suitably supported by the member 236 which is mounted on the rotating dial plate 85.

Now that the sectional views of Figs. 7 and 11 have been described, the details of the plan view of the machine in Fig. 1 will be better understood. It is assumed that the machine has four yarn feeds with four pattern control drums 166, 243, 244, and 245, each similar to drum 166 which has been described in detail. Four wiping out drums 137, 246, 247, and 248 are provided, each similar to drum 13? previously described. The pattern drums 166, 244, and 245 are controlled in turn in their counter clockwise movement around. the needle cylinder by the paper pattern on cylinder 61 as described in Fig. 7. Another paper pattern on cylinder 250 or the equivalent thereof controls in turn the four wiping out drums 137, 246, 247 and 248. The manner ofcontrol by cylinder 250 and the perforated pattern thereon is similar to that of cylinder 61. Associated with the paper pattern on the drum 250 are eight pairs of pivoted fingers, each corresponding to a row of pattern determinations in the pattern sheet, and each finger being adaptedspond to the apparatus of Fig. 7 between finger 62 and element 78.

The two perforated cylinders 250 and 61 are mounted on shafts which are given a step-- lay-step rotary movement through suitable apparatus in housings 253, 254 connected by gears 255 to shaft 256, the other end of which is connected by crown 257 to the tooth rack 231, the details of which may be understood by reference to Lombardi U. S. Patent No. 1,737,598 issued Dec. 3, 1929.

As previously described the needle cylinder is divided for convenience into eight sections, 1A, 2B etc., each section preferably containing the same number of needles. Tn the particular position of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the slidable elements of wiping out drum 248 are being set by the pattern on cylinder 250. After being set in this mannor, the wiping out drum 248 passes over the horizontal rods 215, 216 opposite section 8B and sets the said rods to control the cams 190, 191 which travel with drum 248 around the needle cylinder. The said cams 190, 191, so set, will control the needle jacks in section 1-A, when the drum reaches said section, for. wiping out the pattern from yarn 260, providing one of said cams was set in operative position. While the drum 248 is in section 1A, the arms 158 and 219 will first strike the releasing cam 160 to restore both cams 188, 189 to an inoperative position at the same time cam 190 or 191 may be working on the 1A sectionneedle jacks. After passing releasing cam 160 thedrum 2 48 encounters the upturned ends of horizontal rods 150, 210 and the drum 248 by means of said rods may set either cam 188 or cam 189 for subsequent operation on the 2l3 section needle jacks. Shortly after entering section 2'B the drum 248 reaches a position where arms 220 and 221 will be actuated by releasing cam 159 to restore either cam 190 or cam 191 to an inoperative position, depending on which one was operativein section 1A. Drum 248 will then continue around the needie cylinder to set one of each of the other three pairs of rods 215, 216 and of the other three pairs of rods 150i,- 210 or none of them if desired, after which the elements of drum 248 may be reset by the pattern cylinder 250 for its next movement-around the needle cylinder. in a similar manner wiping out drum 24? controls the wiping out of the pattern for yarn 261 in each section, drum 246 The details of ed pattern sheet on drum 61. Each of these vertical drums preferably has a number of slidable elements equal to thenumber of needles'in each section, which means that the pattern determinations applied to drum 166 i the needle cylinder.

for example will be repeated eight times around the needle cylinder and that each section may produce a pattern varying over the entire section. Vertical pattern drum 166 sets the needle jacks for yarn 263, drum 243 for yarn 262, drum 244 for yarn 261 and drum 245 for yarn 260. Each vertical drum has associated therewith the necessary cams for securing the desired type of knitting from the needles.

The various-cams described particularly in Fi s. 7 and 11 are also shown in top view in ig. 1 with corresponding reference characters. There are four cams corresponding to each of cams 107, 117, 119, 118, 121 and 122, while there are only two earns 84 diametrically opposite each other with respect to The reason why only two cams 84 are needed in the particular form of Fig. 1 may be explained by-stating that the preferred method'of starting the machine is to adjust the manually operated cams 105, 106 to cause two oppositely disposed drums, say drums 243, 245, to form jersey cloth for all yarns and cause the other drums 166-244 to form interlock cloth, After several rows have been knitted inthis manner the manually operable cams 105, 106 are made inoperative and the pattern sheet cylinder 61 started. Before the sheet exerts any control the slidable elements of drums 245and 244 are set .oppositely due to the previous assumed control by cains 105, 106. Now if the pattern sheet 60, to reset certain of the slidable elements of drum 245 (due to perforations'at certain points in sheet 60) positions corresponding jacks after the cam 84 immedi- ';ately preceding drum 245 has lifted all 'vertical jacks 80, it follows that the vertical jacks may remain in the positions determined by this first pattern setting for the passage of the next drum 244 since by their remaining in the said positions it will mean a change in the positions of these slidable elements of .drum 244 corresponding-to the changed elenients of drum 245. That is, if pattern sheet 60 after passage of cam 84 causesone slidable element on drum 245 to be raisedto its upper position by the actuation of a jack 80, the corresponding element in the following drum 244 will be lowered due to the actuation by the same vertical jack 80 without the necessity of a resetting by an intervening cam 84.

In other words a jack 80 in operative position causes a change in the existing setting of its corresponding element in each drum, so that Lse aeee assuming its element in drum 245 is in a raised positiomjack 80 will cause it to be right inorder to obtainthe proper sequence of operation. The condition of section'1A in Fig. 6 is theposition after the passage of a yarn carrier and after all needles have been retracted, so as to place all parts in condition to receive pattern determinations or wiping out control prior to the passage ofthe next yarn carrier. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6 the levers 62 are now raised, the pattern paper cylinder 61 stepped one step and the levers 62 brought down again against the paper patternv or through holes therein, for example as shown for the cylinder 61 in Fig. 4. After this new setting of fingers 62, cam 84 passes along in the direction of the arrow advancing all slidable elements 80, some of which will remain advanced while others will be subsequently retracted by springs 73, depending on whether or not the corresponding fingers 62 encountered a perforation in the pattern. Cam 107 operates at about the same time as cam 84 to push outwardly the lower ends of all the needle jacks 101 fin order that they may be later selectively actuated. Cam 117 then raises all needle jacks 101 to cause all needles to be partially raised to interlock position, as shown to the left in Fig. 4. This causes all the cam surfaces 100 to ride on top of the separating plate 103 when' the rotatable pattern drum 166 now passes the needle jacks of section 1-A.

Each needle jack 101 in section 1A is now selectively actuated by the upper ends of slidable elements 89 in accordance with the settings previously introduced by the last passage of drum 166 over the jacks 80; at the same time the lower ends of the drum elements 89 are receiving pattern determinations for subsequently controlling the needles of sections 2-B, 3-A, 4B, 5-A, 6-B, 7A, 8-B, 1A in the order named. That is,

while drum 166 is passing over section 1A,

It follows therefore that slidable elements 89 will push inwardly certain of the, needle jacks of section 1-A while allowing others to remain in their outer positions. Referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that section 1-A next encounters the wiping out-drum 5 .137. The cams 190, 191 associated with drum 137 and which control the needle jacks of section 1A are set by the drum 137 while the drum is passing over the previous section 8--B, as shown in Fig. 2, where the said drum 137 through momentary cooperation with horizontal rods 215, 216 controls the cams 190, 191. As a result of this control, cams 190, 191 may be inoperative for section 1A or one of them may be operative.

Assuming now that cams 190, 191 pass into section 1--A to actuate the needle jacks therein, if desired to wipe out the pattern, it will be seen from Fig. 2 that the needle jacks of section 1-A will next be controlled by cam 119 to raise to knitting position those needles whose jacks have remained in an outward,

position after being controlled by drums 166 and 137. The long butt needles of section I 1-A that where previously'raised to interlock position are now lowered by cam 118, al-

though cam 118 does not. actuate any long butt needle that has been raised to full knitting position. Cam 121 then lowers all needles to a sub-normal position, after which no they are raised to their normal retracted position by the cam 122. This completes the cycle of operations for the needles of section -1 A as far as yarn feed 263 is concerned and it is evident that a similar description applies to the control of the needles of the other sections, not only for wiping out drum 137 and pattern; drum 166 but for the other pattern drums and wiping out drums, each wiping out drum in turn being set by the pattern 40 control sheet on cylinder 250 and each pattern drum being set in turn by the pattern sheet on cylinder 61.

Fig. 3 has been placed beside'Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 has been placed beside Fig. 4 in order to aid in the indentity of the various moving parts shown only schematically in Figs. 2 and 4.

It will be appreciated that the invention,

machine employing latched needles, but other types of needles may be employed. It isalso to be understood that the invention is not.

to the scope of the invention which, as a matter in certain of its aspects, is not limited to a.

lit is also to be understood that of language, might be said to tween. g

What is claimed is:

1. A knitting machine comprising a circular row of needles, an adjustable cam mounted for movement around said row and for controlling the actuations of said needles, a jack mounted on a stationary part of said machine for controlling the position of said cam, and means comprising a pattern mechanism having selective pattern determinations thereon and mounted for movement around said row for controlling said jack.

2. A knitting machine comprising a circular row of needles, an adjustable cam mounted for movement around said row for controlling the advancement of said needles, a jack mounted on a stationary part of said machine for controlling the position of said cam, a pattern drum mounted for movement around said row and rotating in response to said movement, an adjustable element on said drum for controlling said jack, and pattern mechanism for controlling said element.

3. A knitting machine comprising a circular row of needles, a needle jack individual to each needle, an adjustable cam mounted for movement around said row for controlling said jacks, second jacks mounted on a stationary part of said machine and spaced at different positions around said row for controlling the position of said cam, a drum mounted for movement around said row and rotating in response to said movement, slidable elements on said drum for controlling said second jacks and a pattern strip having a plurality of distinctive configurations in each of a plurality of rows for controlling said elements.

4. A knitting machine comprising a circular row of needles, a needle jack for each needle, a plurality of yarn feeds, an adjustable cam for controlling said needle jacks, a pattern mechanism for each of a plurality of fall therebesaid yarn feeds mounted for movement around said row and rotating in response to said movement, for controlling said needle jacks, a pattern drum for each of a plurality of said yarn feeds having pattern determining elements thereon, said drum being mounted for movement around said row and rotating at a substantially constant speed in response to said movement, and means controlled by said elements for controlling said needle jacks.

5. A knitting machine comprising a circular row of needles, a needle jack for each needle for controlling said needles, certain groups of said jacks having certain configurations and other groups having configurations different from those of said certain groups, an adjustable cam moving around said row for controlling said certain groups, an adjustable cam moving around said row forcontrolling said other groups, a movable element mounted on a stationary part of said machine opposite one of said certain groups for controlling said second mentioned cam,

a movable element mounted on a stationary part of said machine opposite one of said other groups for controlling said first mentioned cam, and pattern mechanism for controlling said elements.

6. A knitting machine. comprising a circular row of needles, a needle jack for each needle for controlling said needles, certain groups of said jacks having certain configurations, and other groups having configurations difierent from said certain groups, an adjustable cam moving around said row for controlling said certain groups, an adjustable cam moving around said row for controlling said other groups, a movable element mounted on a stationary part of said machine opposite one oi. said certain groups for controlling said second mentioned cam, a movable element opposite one of said other groups for controlling said first mentioned cam, a drum mounted for movement around said row and rotating in response to said move- I ment, and slidable members mounted on said drum for controlling said elements.

7. A knitting machine comprising avcylinder having a circular row of needles, a needle jack mounted on said cylinder for each needle, certain groups of said jacks having one type of configuration, other groups having a difierent configuration, an adjustable cam mounted for movement around said cylinder for controlling said certain groups, a second adjustable cam mounted for move- -ment around said cylinder for controlling said other groups, a movable element mount ed on a stationary part of said machine opposite each of a plurality of said certain groups, which element in one positionwill cause said second cam to be operative for the next one of said other groups, a movable element mounted on a stationary portion of said machine opposite each of a plurality of said other groups which in one position will cause said first cam to be operative for the next one of said certain groups, a pattern drum mounted for movement around said cylinder and rotating at a constant speed in response to said movement, and slidable elements on said drum for selectively actuating said ,movable elements spaced around the needle c linder. 8. A

itting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles mounted thereon, a needle jack mounted on said cylinder for each needle, certain groups of said jacks having a certain configuration, other groups having a-diflerent configuration, a standard mountsaid certain groups, another pair of said cams adapted in one posit1on to actuate said shaft, 3

ed for movement around said cylinder and supporting a plurality of adjustable cams, one pair of said cams being adapted when ink an operative position to control the jacks of measles being adapted when in an operative position to control the jacks of said other groups, a plurality of movable elements mounted on'a stationary part of said machine opposite each of a lurality of said certain groups for controlling said second pair of cams, a plurality of movable elements mounted on a stationary part of said machine opposite each oi a plurality of said other groups for controlling said first pair of cams, and means for selectively actuating said elements.

9. A knitting machine in accordance with claim 8 in which said means for actuating said elements comprises a pattern drum mounted for movement around said (Willi-- of said certain groups, another pair of said cams being adapted when in an operative position to control the jacks of said other groups, a plurality of movable elements mounted on a stationary part of said machine opposite each of a plurality of said certain groups for controlling said second pair of cams, a plurality of movable elements mounted on a stationary part of said machine opposite each of a plurality of said other groups for controlling said first pair of cams, automatic means for actuatin said elements to cause one of each pair. 0 cams to be operative for one of its groups of jacks, and means mounted on a stationary part of said machine for subsequently restoring the actuated cam to an inoperative position.

11. A knitting machine comprising a circu- I lar'row of needles, a pattern drum mounted for movement around said row and rotating in response to said movement, a slidable ack mounted on a stationary part of said machine and common to a group of said needles for exerting a similar control on all of the needles in said group, and a slidable-element on said drum for controlling said jack.

12. A knitting machine comprising a circular row of needles, pattern mechanism mounted for movement around said row and rotating in response to said movement, a standard mounted on a rotatable part of said machine and mounted between said mechanism and said row, a rotatable shaft mounted on said standard and carrying a cam for controlling said needles, and 'a slidable element on a stationar part of said machine 

